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THE STORY OF 

OLIVER H. PERR1 

FOR YOUNG READERS 



% 




BY 

MABEL BORTON BEEBE 



WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 

CHICAGO NEW VORK BOSTON 



BALDWIN'S BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKLETS 



THE STORY 



OF 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 



FOR YOUNG READERS 



By Mabel Borton Beebe 




WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 
NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON 






->C0PIK8KEc 






Baldwin's Biographical Booklet Series, 

Biographical Stories of Great Americans 
for Young Americans 



EDITED BY 



James Baldwin, Ph.D. 



IN these biographical stories the lives of great Americans are 
presented in such a manner as to hold the attention of the 
youngest reader. In lives like these the child finds ihe most 
inspiring examples of good citizenship and true patriotism 

NOW READY 

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The Story of George Washington 
The Story of Benjamin Franklin 
The Story of Daniel Webster 
The Story of Abraham Lincoln .... 
By James Baldwin 

Four American Patriots 

The Story of Patrick Henry 10c 



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The Story of Alexander Hamilton 

The Story of Andrew Jackson .... 

The Story of Ulysses S. Grant 

By Mrs. Alma Holman Burton 
The Story of Henry Clay ..... 
By Frances Cravens 

Four American Naval Heroes 

The Story of Paul Jones 

The Story of Oliver H. Perry .... 
The Story of Admiral Farragut .... 
The btory of Admiral Dewey . . . . ' 
By Mrs. Mabel Borton Beebe 

Four American Poets 

The Story of William Cullen Bryant 

The Story of Henry W. Longfellow 

» Th£ Story of John Greenleaf Whittier 

Fh& Story of Edgar Allan Poe .... 
By Sherwin Cody 

OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION 



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-31899 



pyright, 1899, by Werner School Book Company 



2Ttje ILakfsitif ^prrss 

R. R. DONNELLEY &• SONS COMPANY 
CHICAGO 



rr~rr \ ^ ^ . . s~n .a cX i 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. How the Perry Family Came to Rhode 

Island ....... 5 

II. School Days 9 

III. Plans for the Future . . . . . 15 

IV. The Cruise in the West Indies . . . 17 
V. The War with the Barbary States . .21 

VI. More Trouble with England ... 28 

VII. War on the Canadian Border . . . 34 

VIII. Oliver Perry Builds a Fleet . . . 39 

IX. "We Have Met the Enemy and They Are 

Ours". . . . . . . .44 

X. What Perry's Victory Accomplished . 51 

XL On the Mediterranean Again . . .56 

XII. Captain Perry's Last Cruise ... 60 





^r^Tj/ 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 



I. — How the Perry Family Came to Rhode 
Island. 

A very long time ago, there lived in England a 
young Quaker whose name was Edmund Perry. 

At that time the Quakers were much persecuted. 
They were a quiet and peace-loving people, and 
would not serve in the army. They had their own 
religious meetings, and refused to pay money for 
the support of the Church of England. For these 
reasons, they were imprisoned, beaten, and driven 
from their homes. 

Edmund Perry believed that the Quakers were 
right, and he could not endure these persecutions. 
So, in 1650, he came to America to live. 

Thirty years before that time, a company of 
Pilgrims had left England because they also 
wished to be free to worship God as they chose. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



They had founded a colony at Plymouth, which is 
now in the state of Massachusetts. 

Edmund Perry thought that in this settlement 
of Pilgrims he could surely live peaceably in the 
enjoyment of his own belief. He did not stay 
long in Plymouth, however. His Quaker religion 
was hated there, as it had been in England ; and 
the Pilgrims did not wish to have any one in their 
colony who did not agree with them. 

Not far from Plymouth was the colony of 
Rhode Island, which had been founded' by Roger 
Williams. Roger Williams declared that a man 
is responsible for his opinions only to God and 
his own conscience, and that no one has any right 
to punish him for his belief. 

The people in the Rhode Island colony did not 
quarrel with one another about religion, but lived 
together in peace. 

Edmund Perry thought that this was the place 
where he could make a home for himself and his 
family. He therefore purchased a large tract of 
land on the shores of Narragansett Bay, near what 
is now the site of South Kingston. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



Here he lived for the rest of his life, at peace 
with all about him, even his Indian neighbors. 
His descendants also lived in this neighborhood. 
Among them were judges, lawyers, and doctors, as 
well as farmers and mechanics ; and they were 
always highly respected in the colony. 

Christopher Raymond Perry, a great-great- 
grandson of Edmund Perry, was born in Decem- 
ber, 1 76 1. 

At that time there were thirteen colonies or 
great settlements of English people at different 
places along the Atlantic coast of what is now the 
United States. But troubles had already begun 
to brew between the people of these colonies and 
the king of England. These troubles finally led 
to the Revolutionary War. 

Christopher Perry, although a mere boy, was 
one of the first persons in Rhode Island to offer 
himself for this war. He joined a company of vol- 
unteers known as the ' ' Kingston Reds " ; but soon 
afterwards left the army and entered the navy. 
Here he served, having many adventures, until 
the close of the war, in 1783. 



g THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

He had become very fond of a sailor's life, and 
when there was no more use for him in the navy 
he obtained a place on a merchant vessel, and 
went on a cruise to Ireland. 

During the homeward voyage he became ac- 
quainted with one of the passengers, a beautiful 
girl of Scotch descent, whose name was Sara 
Alexander. Soon after their arrival in America, 
their friendship ripened into love, and in 1784 
they were married in Philadelphia. 

Christopher Perry, though but twenty-three 
years of age, was then the captain of a vessel. 
The young couple went to live with Christopher's 
father, on the old Perry estate in South Kingston. 

This was then a farm of two hundred acres. 
The old homestead stood at the foot of a hill not 
far from the Narragansett shore. 

Through the trees in a neighboring wood, shone 
the white stones which marked the graves of the 
Quaker, Edmund Perry, and many of his children 
and grandchildren. 

The Perry family were glad to welcome Christo- 
pher's young wife into their home. She was as 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. Q 



intelligent as she was beautiful ; and her sweet 
and happy disposition made every one love her. 

Christopher Perry gave up his life on the sea for 
a time, and many happy months were spent in the 
old home. 

On the 23d of August, 1785, their first baby 
boy was born. He was named for an uncle and 
a great-great-grandfather, Oliver Hazard Perry. 



II. — School Days. 

Oliver was a winsome baby and he grew strong 
and beautiful very fast. Every one loved him, for 
he thought all strangers were friends, and was 
never afraid of them. 

Indeed he was not afraid of anything, for to 
him there was no danger. We shall see that he 
kept this same fearlessness all through his life. 

When he was three years old, he was playing 
one day with an older child, in the road near his 
grandfather's house. A man was seen coming 
rapidly towards them on horseback. The elder 



IO 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



child ran out of the way, calling to Oliver to do the 
same. 

The little fellow sat quite still, however, until 
the horse was nearly upon him. As the horseman 




CHILDHOOD HOME OF OLIVER PERRY. 



drew rein, Oliver looked up into his face and said, 
" Man, you will not ride over me, will you?" 

The gentleman, who was a friend of the family's, 
carried him into the house, and told the story. 

When scarcely more than a baby, Oliver sat 



THE STOR Y OF 01.11 'ER HA ZA RD PERR V. - 



upon his mother's knee, while she taught him 
letters and words. It was not long before he could 
read quite well. By the time he was five years 
old, there were two other babies to keep the 
beautiful, loving mother busy. So it was thought 
best to send Oliver to school. 

Not far from the Perrys', there lived an old 
gentleman whom the people loved because of his 
goodness of heart. As there was no school near 
by, he had often been asked to teach the neigh- 
borhood children. 

The good old man was notoriously lazy, and 
consented upon one condition — that he should be 
allowed to have a bed in the schoolroom. 

Teachers were few in those days, and, since 
there was no one else, the bed was set up. How 
amusing it must have been to see the children 
standing about the master's bed and reciting their 
lessons! 

It was to this strange school that little Oliver 
was first sent. Some girl cousins lived on the 
adjoining farm. Though they were all older than 
he, it was Oliver's duty, each day, to take them to 



12 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



and from school. No one, not even the other 
scholars, thought this at all strange. His dignified 
manners always made him seem older than he 
really was. 

One day his mother told him that he was old 
enough to go to school at Tower Hill, a place four 
miles away. Boys and girls would now think that 
a long way to go to school ; but Oliver and his 
cousins did not mind the walk through the woods 
and over the hills. 

The master of this school was so old that he had 
once taught Oliver's grandfather. He was not lazy, 
however, and was never known to lose his temper. 

It was not long until a change was made and 
Oliver was taken away from ' ' old master Kelly. " 

For several years past, Oliver's father had been 
again on the sea. He had commanded vessels on 
successful voyages to Europe and South America, 
and now he had a large income. He was there- 
fore able to pay for better teaching for Oliver and 
the younger children. 

So the family moved from South Kingston to 
Newport, a larger town, with better schools. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. y ^ 



At first Oliver did not like the change. The 
discipline was much more strict than it had been 
in the little country schools. 

His teacher, Mr. Frazer, had one serious fault. 
He had a violent temper which was not always 
controlled. 

One day he became angry at Oliver and broke a 
ruler over his head. Without a word, Oliver took 
his hat and went home. He told his mother that 
he would never go back. 

The wise mother said nothing until the next 
morning. Then, giving him a note for Mr. 
Frazer, she told him to go to school as usual. 
The proud boy's lip quivered and tears were in 
his eyes, but he never thought of disobeying his 
mother. 

The note he carried was a kind one, telling Mr. 
Frazer that she intrusted Oliver to his care again 
and hoped that she would not have cause to regret 
it. 

After this Oliver had no better friend than Mr. 
Frazer. On holidays they walked together to the 
seashore and spent many hours wandering along 



T . THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



the beach. The schoolmaster took great delight in 
teaching Oliver the rules of navigation, and the use 
of the instruments necessary for sailing a vessel. 

Oliver learned these things so readily that it 
was not long until Mr. Frazer said he was the best 
navigator in Rhode Island. This, of course, was 
not strictly true, but it showed what an apt scholar 
the boy was. 

Oliver made many friends in Newport. Among 
them was the Frenchman, Count Rochambeau. 
The father of this man was a great general, and 
had once commanded some French troops who 
helped the Americans in the Revolutionary War. 

Count Rochambeau often invited Oliver to dine 
with him, and one day he gave him a beautiful 
little watch. 

When Oliver was twelve years old, his father 
gave up his life on the sea. The family then 
moved to Westerly, a little village in the south- 
western part of Rhode Island. 

For five years Oliver had been a faithful pupil 
of Mr. Frazer's, and he was now far advanced 
for his years. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. j - 



III. — Plans for the Future. 

About this time some unexpected troubles arose 
in our country. 

France and England had been at war for years. 
The French were anxious that America should 
join in the quarrel; and when they could not bring 
this about by persuasion, they tried to use force. 

French cruisers were sent to the American shores 
to capture merchant vessels while on their way to 
foreign ports. 

You may be sure that this roused the people 
from one end of the United States to the other. 
Preparations for war with France were begun ; and 
the first great need was a better navy. 

At the close of the Revolutionary War, all work 
on government vessels had been stopped. Those 
that were unfinished were sold to shipping mer- 
chants. Even the ships of war that had done 
such good service, were sold to foreign countries. 
In this way, the entire American navy passed out 
of existence. 



i6 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



But now the President, John Adams, went to 
work to establish a navy that should give protec- 
tion to American commerce. 

In the spring of 1798, a naval department was 
organized, with Benjamin Stoddart as the first 
Secretary of the Navy. The following summer 
was busy with active preparations. Six new 
frigates were built, and to these were added a 
number of other vessels of various kinds. 

Captain Christopher Perry was given command 
of one of the new frigates that were being built at 
Warren, a small town near Bristol, Rhode Island. 
This vessel was to be called the General Greene. 

In order to superintend the building of this 
vessel, Captain Perry, with his wife, left his 
quiet home in Westerly, and went to stay in 
Warren. 

Oliver, then not quite thirteen years old, re- 
mained at home to take charge of the family. 

He saw that his sister and brothers went to 
school regularly. He bought all the family pro- 
visions. Each day he wrote to his father and 
mother, telling them about home affairs. In the 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. .- 



meantime, he was busily planning what his work 
in life should be. 

His mother had taught him that a man must be 
brave, and always ready to serve his country. 
She had told him many stories of battles fought 
long ago in her native land across the sea. 

Oliver had lived most of his life in sight of the 
sea, and had spent many hours with seamen. It is 
not strange, therefore, that he should decide, — " I 
wish to be a captain like my father. " 

He had heard of the troubles with France, 
and he longed to help defend his country. And so 
at last he wrote to his father, asking permission 
to enter the navy. It was a manly letter, telling 
all his reasons for his choice. 

The consent was readily given, and Oliver soon 
afterward received an appointment as midshipman 
on his father's vessel, the General Greene. 



IV. — The Cruise in the West Indies. 

In the meantime, the people grew more eager 
for war. An army had been raised to drive back 



i8 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



the French, should they attempt to invade the 
land. George Washington, though nearly sixty- 
seven years of age, had been appointed com- 
mander in chief of the American forces. 

In February, 1799, one 
of the new frigates, the Con- 
stellation, under Captain 
Truxton, defeated and cap- 
tured a French frigate of 
equal size. By spring the 
General Greene was com- 
pleted, and Captain Perry 
was ordered to sail for the 
West Indies. 

America had large trad- 
ing interests with those islands. Many of our 
merchant vessels brought from there large cargoes 
of fruits, coffee, and spices. The General Greene 
was ordered to protect these cargoes from the 
French cruisers, and bring them safely into port. 
For several months Captain Perry's vessel con- 
voyed ships between Cuba and the United States. 
In July, some of the sailors on board were sick 




CAPT. THOMAS TRUXTON. 



THE S TOR V OF OLI VER HA ZA RD PERR Y. j g 



with yellow fever. So Captain Perry brought the 
vessel back to Newport. 

Oliver went at once to see his mother. The 
tall lad in his bright uniform was a hero to all 
the children in the neighborhood. 

His brothers and sister considered it an honor to 
wait upon him. They would go out in the early 
morning and pick berries for his breakfast, so that 
he might have them with the dew upon them. 

While on shipboard he had learned to play a 
little on the flute. The children loved to sit about 
him, and listen to his music. 

By the autumn of 1799. the crew of the General 
Greene were well again, and Captain Perry sailed 
back to Havana. 

It was during the following winter months of 
cruising with his father, that Oliver was taught his 
lessons of naval honor. He also applied the 
lessons in navigation which he had learned from 
Mr. Frazer. 

He read and studied very carefully, and could 
not have had a better teacher than his father. 
While the General Greene was cruising among 



20 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



the West Indies, Captain Truxton had won 
another victory with his Constellation. This time 
he captured a French frigate which carried sixteen 
guns more than the Constellation. 

The French, dismayed at these victories of the 
Americans, began to be more civil. They even 
seemed anxious for peace. 




War had been carried on for about a year, 
though it had never been formally declared. 

In May, 1800, the General Greene came back to 
Newport, and remained in harbor until the terms 
of peace were concluded. 

The trouble with France being settled, it was 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. * 



decided by the government to dispose of nearly 
all the naval vessels. As a result, many of the 
captains and midshipmen were dismissed, Captain 
Perry being one of the number. 

Fortunately for the country, young Oliver was 
retained as midshipman. 



V. — The War with the Barbary States. 

On the northern coast of Africa, bordering on 
the Mediterranean Sea, are four countries known 
as the Barbary States. These are Tunis, Algiers, 
Tripoli, and Morocco. 

For more than four hundred years, these coun- 
tries had been making a business of sea-robbery. 
Their pirate vessels had seized and plundered the 
ships of other nations, and the captured officers 
and men were sold into slavery. 

Instead of resisting these robbers, most of the 
nations had found it easier to pay vast sums of 
money to the Barbary rulers to obtain protection 
for their commerce. 

The Americans had begun in this way, and had 



22 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



made presents of money and goods to Algiers and 
Tunis. 

Then the ruler of Tripoli, called the Bashaw, 
informed our government that he would wait six 
months for a handsome present from us. If it did 

not come then, he would de- 
clare war against the United 
States. 

This did not frighten the 
Americans at all. Their only 
reply was to send a fleet of 
four vessels to the Mediter- 
ranean. The intention was 
to force the Bashaw to make 
a treaty which should insure 
safety for our vessels. 
This squadron did not do much but blockade the 
ports of Tripoli. 

A year later, in 1802, a larger squadron was 
fitted out to bring the Bashaw to terms. Com- 
modore Morris was the commander. On one of 
the vessels, the Adams, was Oliver Perry as 
midshipman. 




COMMODORE CHARLES MORRIS. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 33 



Soon after the arrival of his ship in the 
Mediterranean, Oliver celebrated his seventeenth 

birthday. , ( 

The captain of the Adams was very fond of 
him, and succeeded in having him appointed 
lieutenant on that day. 

For a year and a half, the squadron of Commo- 
dore Morris cruised about the Mediterranean. 
No great battles were fought and no great victories 

were won. , 

The Adams stopped at the coast towns of 
Spain, France, and Italy. Through the kindness 
of the captain, Oliver was often allowed to go on 
shore and visit the places of interest. 

Commodore Morris, being recalled to America 
sailed thither in the Adams; and so it happened 
that in November, 1803, Oliver Perry arrived again 

in America. 

His father was then living in Newport, and Oliver 

remained at home until July of the next year. 

He spent much of his time in studying mathe- 
matics and astronomy. He liked to go out 
among the young people, and his pleasing man- 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



ners and good looks made him a general fa- 
vorite. 

He was fond of music and could play the flute 
very skillfully. When not studying, he liked most 
of all to ride horses, and fence with a sword. 

While Lieutenant Perry was spending this time 
at home, the war in the Mediterranean was still 
being carried on. Commodore Preble, who had 
succeeded Commodore Morris, had won many 
brilliant victories. 

The most daring feat of all this war was accom- 
plished by Stephen Decatur, a young lieutenant 
only twenty-three years old. 

One of the largest of the American vessels, the 
Philadelphia, had, by accident, been grounded on 
a reef. Taking advantage of her helpless condition, 
the whole Tripolitan fleet opened fire upon her. 

Captain Bainbridge, the commander of the 
Philadelphia, was obliged to surrender. The 
Tripolitans managed to float the vessel off the 
reef, and towed her into the harbor. 

Captain Bainbridge, although a prisoner, found 
means to send word of his misfortune to Commo- 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



25 



dore Preble, who was then at Malta, and the Amer- 
ican fleet at once sailed for Tripoli. 

At the suggestion of Captain Bainbridge, the 
Americans determined to burn the Philadelphia, 
rather than allow the Tripolitans to keep her. 

This was a very dangerous undertaking, as the 
vessel was anchored in the 
midst of the Tripolitan fleet. 
It was also within easy range 
of the guns of the fort, com- 
manding the harbor. 

The task was given to 
Stephen Decatur. In order 
to deceive the enemy, he 
took a small boat which had 
been captured from them a 
short time before. Its crew 
was made up of volunteers, 
for the chances of escape were very few. 

Under cover of night, the little vessel sailed 
into the harbor, and, as if by accident, ran into 
the Philadelphia. Before the Tripolitans realized 
what had happened, Decatur and his men were 




STEPHEN DECATUR. 



26 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



climbing over the sides of the vessel and through 
the port holes. 

Decatur had ordered his men to use no fire- 
arms. He did not wish to attract the attention of 




BURNING OF THE PHILADELPHIA. 



the Tripolitans who were in the fort and on the 
other vessels in the harbor. 

A desperate hand to hand fight ensued. In a 
few minutes the Americans were in possession of 
the vessel. Some of the Tripolitan crew had 
been killed ; others had jumped into the sea. 

The Americans then set the Philadelphia on 



THE S TOR Y OF OLI VER HA ZA RD PERR Y. 2 y 



fire and jumped into their boat to escape. 
Lieutenant Decatur was the last one to leave the 

burning ship. 

The situation of the little band was now desper- 
ate. The Philadelphia was a mass of flames, 
lighting up the harbor for miles around. 

Decatur's little boat could be plainly seen, and 
all the vessels and forts opened fire on it. But 
the Tripolitans were too much excited to do 
serious damage. 

In a short time the fire reached the magazine of 
the Philadelphia and she blew up with a tre- 
mendous crash, leaving the harbor in darkness. 
Decatur and his men escaped with but one man 
wounded. 

This is only one of many deeds of bravery 
done in this war, but we can not tell of them in 
this story. Lieutenant Perry, in his home in 
America, heard of them, and longed to be on the 
scene of action. 

He was very glad when, in the following 
September, he was ordered to return in the 
Constellation to the Mediterranean. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 



The American fleet in the Mediterranean was 
by this time so large that the Bashaw was con- 
vinced that the Americans were in earnest. 

He was glad to make a treaty of peace and 
release the prisoners on payment of a small 
ransom. 

In October, 1806, Oliver Perry returned to 
America. He was greatly disappointed that he 
had not been able to take a more active part in 
the war. 

He spent most of the next two years in New- 
port, dividing his time between study and his 
many friends. 



VI. — More Trouble with England. 

While America was having these troubles with 
the Barbary States, France and England were 
still at war. Commerce all over the world was 
affected, and in some cases almost destroyed by 
this long war. 

The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, had 
forbidden all vessels of other nations to enter 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



29 



British ports. The English, in turn, said that no 
vessel should enter a port of France, or of any 
country belonging to France. 

But the Americans had to endure still further 
injuries from the English. British war vessels 
claimed the right to stop American ships on the 
sea, search them, and carry off American sailors, 
claiming them as deserters from the English navy. 

The French could not do this ; for no American 
sailor could be accused of being a runaway 
Frenchman. 

In 1807, an event took place which nearly led 
to war. 

The British frigate Leopard, cruising along the 
coast, hailed the American frigate Chesapeake, and 
demanded permission to search the ship. 

The captain of the Chesapeake refused. With- 
out a word of warning, the Leopard fired into the 
Chesapeake, killing and wounding more than 
twenty men. 

The American captain had not dreamed of such 
an outrage. His vessel had just put to sea and 
everything was in confusion. He did not even 



- „ THE S TOR Y OF OLI VER HA ZA RD PERR Y. 



have a gun in condition to return the fire. So he 
lowered his flag and surrendered. 

The officers of the Leopard then came on board 
and carried off four men from the crew. 

The United States would have declared war at 
once if England had not apologized. 

The President, at this time, was Thomas Jeffer- 
son. He was a man of peace. He called a 
session of Congress to see if the trouble could not 
be settled without war. 

As a result of this session, a law was passed 
known as the Embargo Act. By this law, no 
vessel was allowed to sail from the United States 
to any foreign country. 

In order to enforce the law, Congress ordered a 
number of gunboats to be built. These were to 
sail up and down the coast, and prevent any 
vessel from entering or leaving the ports. 

Lieutenant Perry was ordered to superintend 
the building of a fleet of these gunboats at New- 
port. After they were built, he was put in 
command of them, and ordered to patrol Long 
Island Sound. 



THE STOR Y OF OLI VER HA ZA RD PERR V. ~ j 



At this time, the government wanted a map of 
the harbors in the neighborhood of Newport. On 
account of his standing as a seaman, and of his 
education, Lieutenant Perry was selected to visit 
the harbors and make such a map. 

He was given a fast sailing schooner called the 
Revenge. While carrying on this work, he was one 
day returning from Newport to New London, 
when a dense fog came on. The Revenge struck 
upon a reef of rocks, and went to pieces. 

By great efforts Lieutenant Perry was able to 
save, not only all the crew, but the sails, rigging, 
and cannon. 

He then went to Washington to explain the loss 
of the Revenge to the navy department. It was 
made clear that it was the fault of the local pilot 
who had charge of the vessel at the time. 

Lieutenant Perry was commended for his gallant 
conduct in this disaster, and was also granted a 
year's leave of absence. He went to Newport, and 
on May 5, 181 1, he was married to Elizabeth 
Champlin Mason. 

The young couple took a wedding journey 



^ 2 THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HA ZA RD PERR Y. 



through New England. They spent one day in 
Plymouth, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Perry was 
much interested in visiting the place where his 
Quaker ancestor had lived so many years before. 

During this time, the people of the United 
States had learned that the Embargo Act was a 
very unwise law. The men of Congress had 
thought to injure France and England by thus re- 
fusing to trade with them altogether. They soon 
discovered, however, that the dam- 
age to American commerce was far 
greater. 

Trading vessels in the ports were 
left standing idle at the wharves, 
while the sailors were forced to find 
james madison. other employment. 

All over the country, there arose a bitter feeling 
against this law. In the New England states, 
where there were the largest shipping interests, 
there was even talk of secession from the Union. 

About this time a new President, James Madison, 
was elected. Soon afterward the Embargo Act 
was repealed, and in its place was passed a law 




THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



33 



which satisfied the people for a time. By this law, 
trade was allowed with every country but England 
and France. 

American vessels now put to sea on voyages to 
foreign lands. But their old enemies, the English, 
soon began to annoy them 
as before. 

In May, 1811, the British 
sloop Little Belt was hailed 
by the American frigate 
President, under the com- 
mand of Commodore Rod- 
gers. The reply was a can- 
non shot. The Presideiit 
then poured broadsides into 
the Little Belt. After the 
English had lost thirty-two men in killed and 
wounded, they came to terms. 

The American people now saw that war could 
no longer be avoided. On June 18, 181 2, the 
formal declaration was made. 




COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS. 



* * THE S TOR V OF OLI VER HA ZA RD PERR J '. 



VII. — War on the Canadian Border. 

Up to this time the English navy had been 
called the "Mistress of the Seas." England's ves- 
sels could be numbered by the hundred, and the 
crews by the ten thousand. 

When this war of 1812 was declared, the entire 
United States navy comprised about half a dozen 
frigates, and six or eight sloops and brigs. Along 
the American coast alone the English had seven 
times this number of war vessels. 

The first few months of the war were full of 
naval surprises. In that brief time the Americans 
captured more British ships than the French had 
taken in twenty years. 

On August 19th, the American frigate Constitu- 
tion, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, in one 
half hour captured the English frigate Guerriere. 
The English lost one hundred men, and the vessel 
was so disabled that she was left to sink. The 
Americans lost but fourteen men, and in a few 
hours the ship was ready for another battle. 

Several other victories followed in quick succes- 



THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HA ZA RD PERR V. - - 



sion. In all this time the Americans did not lose 
a ship. 

In December, Commodore Bainbridge, the same 
officer who had been taken prisoner years before 
by the Tripolitans and had afterwards been pro- 
moted, was cruising with the frigate Constitution 
off the coast of Brazil. He there encountered and 
captured the British frigate Java. 

But though so successful on the sea, the Amer- 
icans were defeated many times on land. 

The possession of the Great Lakes was of the 
utmost importance to both the English and the 
Americans. 

Ever since the Revolution the English had kept 
a naval force on these lakes. They had hoped 
that some time they might be able to extend the 
Canadian territory along the Great Lakes and 
down the Mississippi to New Orleans. This would 
give them the possession of the great west. 

Many prosperous towns and trading posts were 
scattered along the Canadian shores. To capture 
some of these was the task given to the American 
army. 



36 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



The campaign was opened by General William 
Hull. With two thousand men he crossed the 
Detroit River, and marched into Canada. 

After a few skirmishes with the Indians, he fell 
back to the fort at Detroit. Then, without firing 
a single gun, he gave up this fort to the English. 
This surrender was a great loss to the Ameri- 
cans for many reasons. 

There was, in the west, 
a bold Indian warrior 
whose name was Tecum- 
seh. He had a brother 
whom the Indians called 
the Prophet, because he 
was a medicine man and 
could do wonderful things. 
These two Indians wished 
to form a union of all the 
tribes from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. They 
hoped that in this way they might prevent 
the white settlers from taking their hunting 
grounds. 

"The white men are continually driving the red 




TECUMSEH. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



37 



people toward the west ; by and by we shall be 
driven into the Great Water, " they said. 

The governor-general of Canada made the 
Indians many promises, and tried to incite them 
against the United States. In this way he per- 
suaded many warlike tribes to give aid to the 
English. Tecumseh himself crossed into Canada 
and joined the British army under General Proctor. 

After Hull's surrender of Detroit, the British and 
Indians took possession not only of that fort, but 
also of Fort Dearborn, where Chicago now stands. 
The territory of Michigan was completely in their 
hands, and the settlers along the 
lakes and all through the north- 
west were at the mercy of the 
Indians. 

General William Henry Harri- 
son tried to regain Detroit. His 
advance guard was met and de- william henry 

. . . HARRISON. 

feated at the River Raisin, a lew 
miles south of Detroit. Every American prisoner 
was murdered by the Indians; and for years after- 
ward the River Raisin was a name of horror. 




38 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



The Americans felt that something desperate 
must be done. The first great thing to be gained 
was the control of the lakes. 

At this time nearly the whole of the western 
country was a wilderness. The only way of mov- 
ing men and supplies from place to place, was by 
the use of boats on the lakes and water courses. 

On Lake Ontario a small fleet had been built, 
and a skirmish or two had been fought. But the 
thing of most importance was the control of Lake 
Erie. This would not only give back Detroit to the 
Americans, but would also be the means of recov- 
ering the whole of the Michigan territory. 

The task of building a fleet and driving the 
English from the lakes was given to Lieutenant 
Perry. 

At the beginning of the war he had left his 
quiet home in Newport, and had hurried to Wash- 
ington to ask for active service. 

He was promised the first vacancy, but in the 
meantime he was ordered to protect the harbors of 
Long Island Sound with a flotilla of gunboats. 

During the year 1812 he performed this duty 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



39 



faithfully, all the while drilling his men, in hopes 
of being intrusted with a larger responsibility. 



VIII. — Oliver Perry Builds a Fleet. 

In February, 1813, Lieutenant Perry was or- 
dered to go to Lake Erie= He was to take with 
him, from his gunboats, the men whom he 
thought best fitted for the service and report to 
Commodore Chauncey, who was in command of the 
squadron on Lake Ontario. The American head- 
quarters, on that lake, were at Sacketts Harbor. 

It was almost impossible to reach the place. 
From the Hudson River to the shores of Lake 
Ontario, was a vast wilderness. No road had 
been cut through it; none but Indians could follow 
the difficult trails. 

The only route known to the white men was 
along the Mohawk River to Lake Oneida, then by 
the Oswego River to the little village of Oswego on 
Lake Ontario. To transport men and arms along 
this route was a great task, requiring much time, 
skill, and patience. 



40 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



Oliver Perry was a man of action. On the very 
day that he received his orders, he started fifty 
men to Lake Ontario, and the next day fifty 
more. 

On February 2 2d, in the coldest part of winter, 
he left his home and his young wife in Newport, 




and with his brother 
Alexander, began the 
difficult journey to- 
wards the north. 
Sometimes they traveled in rude sleighs over the 
roughest of roads. Sometimes, when the river 
was not too full of ice, they embarked in canoes. 
At other times, they could only go on foot through 
the thick underbrush. On all sides was a vast 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts and un- 
friendly Indians. 

At Oswego, they embarked in boats and followed 
the shore of Lake Ontario to Sacketts Harbor. 
On one side of them was the dreary inland sea 
full of tossing white caps and overhung by the 
leaden sky of winter. On the other side lay the 
trackless forest. 

To relieve their loneliness, they occasionally fired 
a musket. The echoes would roll along the shore, 
growing fainter and fainter. This only made the 
silence which followed seem greater than before. 

A cold rain began to fall, and by the time they 
reached Sacketts Harbor they were drenched to 
the skin. 

On March 16th, Lieutenant Perry set out for 
Lake Erie. Upon reaching the harbor at Erie he 
found that twenty-five ship carpenters had already 
begun work on three gunboats and two brigs. 
Fifty more carpenters had started four weeks 
before from Philadelphia, but had not yet arrived. 

The task which lay before Oliver Perry seemed 
almost an impossible one. Mechanics, seamen, 



. 2 THE S TOR VOF OLI VER HAZARD PERRY. 



guns, sailcloth, — everything needed for the ships 
must be brought hundreds of miles through a wild 
and half-settled country. 

But by the end of the summer, a fleet, which 
seemed to have been built by magic, was ready to 
meet the English. Six months before, the timbers 
used in building the vessels had been growing trees; 
the iron that held these timbers together was either 
in the mines or in warehouses or farmers' barns, in 
the shape of plowshares, axes, or horseshoes. 

The shipbuilders had come through the wilder- 
ness from Philadelphia. The guns, ammunition, 
and rigging had been brought in ox-wagons, hun- 
dreds of miles over almost impassable roads. 

While Perry was building this 
fleet, a sad event had taken place 
on the sea. The British frigate 
Shannon met and captured the 
American frigate Chesapeake, June 
i, 1 8 13, near Boston harbor. 
captain james Captain Lawrence of the Chesa- 

LAWRENCE. r 

peake fought bravely, but, in the 
battle, was mortally wounded. As he was being 




THE S TOR Y OF OLI VER HA 2 A RD PERR Y. .- 



carried below, his last words were: ''Don't give 
up the ship ! " 

The Secretary of the Navy sent word to Lieuten- 
ant Perry to name one of the vessels of his new 
fleet the Lawrence, after this gallant captain. 
Lieutenant Perry therefore gave this name to his 
flagship. 

By the ioth of July the fleet was ready for sea, 
but there were only officers and men enough to 
man one ship. Several of these were ill with fever. 

Lieutenant Perry wrote many letters to General 
Harrison, Commodore Chauncey, and the Secre- 
tary of the Navy. 

"Give me men, and I will acquire both for you 
and for myself honor and glory on this lake, or die 
in the attempt, " he said. 

By the end of July he had over four hundred 
men for his nine vessels. But, as he said, they 
were a ' 'motley crew" of regular soldiers, negroes, 
and raw recruits. During the battle which fol- 
lowed, over a hundred of these men were too sick 
to be of any use. 

The English fleet of six vessels was commanded 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



by Captain Barclay. In his crews were over five 
hundred men and boys. 



IX. — "We Have Met the Enemy and They are 

Ours." 

Early in August the American squadron left the 
harbor of Erie, and sailed to Put-in-Bay, an 
island not far from the west end of the lake. 

The British squadron was in the harbor of Fort 
Maiden, nearly opposite on the Canadian shore. 

On the morning of September 10, 1813, from 
the masthead of the Lawrence, the English fleet 
was seen approaching. 

As the Americans were sailing out to battle, 
Lieutenant Perry gathered his men together and 
talked to them about the courage they would need. 

He showed them a large blue flag, bearing in 
white letters a foot high the words: "Don't give 
up the ship !" 

"My brave lads," he said, "this flag bears the 
last words of Captain Lawrence. Shall I hoist it?" 



THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HAZARD PERR V. . r 

45 



With one voice, the men shouted: "Aye, aye, 
sir!" 

As the bunting was run up on the Lawrence, 
cheer upon cheer came from every vessel of the 
American squadron. The men were then sent to 
their quarters, and every one quietly waited for 
the beginning of battle. 

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was cloud- 
less, and there was hardly a ripple to disturb the 
lake. The English vessels were newly painted, and 
gayly adorned with flags. Every sail shone in 
dazzling whiteness in the sunlight. 

At half-past ten a bugle was heard from the 
English flagship, which was followed by cheers 
from the other vessels. Across the water the 
Americans could hear the strains of the English 
national air played by a band. 

On the Lawrence all was still. With determined 
faces the men stood by the guns. 

Lieutenant Perry knew that a great responsibil- 
ity was upon him. He knew that, should he lose 
the battle, General Proctor and Tecumseh, with 
five thousand soldiers and Indians, were ready to 



4 6 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



cross the lake, and take possession of the southern 
shore. All through that part of the country, 
anxious men, women, and children were waiting 
to flee from their homes, if the dreaded Indians 
came upon them. 

These things Lieutenant Perry knew. He 
passed along the deck, carefully examining every 
gun. He had a word of encouragement for each 
gun crew. 

Seeing some of the men who had fought on the 
Constitution, he said, ' ' I need not say anything to 
you. You know how to beat those fellows." 

As he passed another gun, commanded by a crew 
that had served in his gunboat flotilla, he said: 
" Here are the Newport boys! They will do their 
duty, I warrant." 

In this way he filled all his men with a great 
earnestness, and a determination to conquer or die. 

While the two squadrons were yet a mile apart, 
the English sent a cannon ball skimming over the 
water. For some time there followed a vigorous 
firing from both sides. 

As the English guns could carry farther than 



THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HAZARD PERR V. .>- 

those of the Americans, Lieutenant Perry brought 
his flagship into close quarters. The other Amer- 
ican vessels were some distance behind. 

The whole British squadron then opened fire 
upon the Lawrence. 

At the end of an hour of this unequal battle, the 
condition of the Lawrence was pitiable. One by 
one the guns had been disabled. Finally only one 
on the side toward the enemy could be used. The 
rigging was damaged, the spars were shattered, 
and the sails were torn into shreds. Eighty-three 
men had been killed or wounded. 

Two musket balls passed through Lieutenant 
Perry's hat, and his clothing was torn by flying 
splinters. 

One heavy shot crushed into the large china 
closet, and smashed every dish with a great clatter. 
A dog, that had been locked up there, startled by 
the noise, added to the tumult by howling dis- 
mally. 

Several times the Lawrence barely escaped being 
blown up. Two cannon balls passed entirely 
through the powder magazine. 



48 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



Even the wounded men crawled upon the deck 
to lend a feeble hand in firing the guns. It was 
Oliver Perry himself, however, that loaded and 
fired the last gun of the Lawrence. 

Lieutenant Perry at last determined to change 
his flag from the Lawrence to the Niagara. A 
breeze had sprung up, which enabled this vessel to 
come near to the helpless Lawrence. 

The first lieutenant was left in command of the 
Lawrence, with orders to hold out to the last. 
Then with his brother Alexander and four seamen, 
Lieutenant Perry got into a rowboat. Just as 
they were shoving off, a seaman on the Lawrence 
hauled down the blue flag, bearing the motto, 
" Don't give up the ship!" He rolled it up and 
tossed it to Perry. 

The smoke of the battle was so dense that the 
rowboat had nearly reached the Niagara before it 
was seen by the English. Then a shot was sent 
which went straight through the boat's side. 

Taking off his coat and rolling it up, Perry 
quickly thrust it into the hole which the ball had 
made. This kept the boat from sinking. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERR. 



49 



As he stepped upon the deck of the Niagara, 
Perry ordered the blue flag to be hoisted. Just at 
this moment the Lawrence surrendered. 

The English gave a cheer, thinking they had 
won the battle. They were not able, however, to 



jzgw& 




THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE. 

board and take the Lazvrence at once, and so she 
drifted away. When safely out of range her 
colors were rehoisted. 

Bringing the Niagara into position, Lieutenant 
Perry fired a terrific broadside into one of the Eng- 
lish vessels. Then he sailed quickly to another 
and did the same thing. 

The other American vessels followed this exam- 
ple, and a terrific battle followed. 



- Q THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HAZA RD PERR Y 



In just fifteen minutes the English surrendered. 
Two vessels of their squadron attempted to es- 
cape, but were soon overtaken and captured. 

Lieutenant Perry was determined that the 
formal surrender should take place on the Law- 
rence. So once more he lowered his flag, and 
jumping into a boat, made for his first flagship. 

When he stepped on board the Lawrence not a 
cheer was heard. The handful of men that were 
left silently greeted their commander. 

Few of them were uninjured. Some had splin- 
tered arms and legs. Others had bandages about 
their heads. Their faces were black with powder. 

The English officers came on board to present 
their swords to Perry. With quiet dignity he 
returned each one. 

He then took from his pocket an old letter. 
Using his cap for a desk, he wrote with a pencil 
his famous dispatch to General Harrison: 

' ' We have met the enemy and they are ours. 
Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. 
Yours, with very great respect and esteem, 

"O. H. Perry." 



THE STOR V OF 0L1 VER HA ZA RD PERR V. - j 



X. — What Perry's Victory Accomplished. 

The battle on Lake Erie was the beginning of 
the end of the war. The news of the victory 
caused great rejoicings all over the country. In 
all the principal towns there were meetings, bon- 
fires, and torchlight processions. 

General Harrison could now take his army into 
Canada. No time was lost. He hurried over four 
thousand men to the lake, where Perry's fleet 
waited to take them across. 

The main body of the British army, under 
General Proctor and Tecumseh, was at Fort Mai- 
den. Upon landing there the Americans found 
that the enemy had fled, having burned the forts, 
barracks, and stores. 

General Harrison followed the English up the 
left bank of the Detroit River. The fort at De- 
troit was surrendered without any resistance, and 
the English retreated along the St. Clair Lake 
and up the Thames River. 

The Americans steadily pursued them. Perry, 



c 2 THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



with his fleet, followed the army, carrying the 
baggage and provisions. 

He became so excited over the chase that he 
could not remain quietly on his ships. So, leaving 
them in charge of one of his officers, he went 
ashore and offered his services to General Harri- 
son as aid-de-camp. 

As he joined the army he was met with cheers 
of welcome from the soldiers. General Harrison 
afterward said : ' ' The appearance of the gallant 
Perry cheered and animated every soldier." 

Following the English some distance up the 
Thames, the Americans finally overtook them. 
They were drawn up in line of battle on a narrow 
strip of land which lay between the river and a 
large swamp. 

The American cavalry made a bold dash 
through these lines, and the enemy was soon 
routed. Over sixty British and Indians were 
killed, and six hundred troops were made prisoners. 
General Proctor made his escape, but Tecumseh 
was killed. 

The death of this great chief severed forever the 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. - ^ 



tie which bound the Indians to the English. Soon 
afterwards all the tribes of the northwest declared 
submission to the United States. The white set- 
tlers in the region about the Great Lakes were 
thus freed from their fear of the savages. 

During the battle of the Thames, the soldiers 
greatly admired the fine horsemanship of Oliver 
Perry. He rode a powerful black horse, with a 
white face, that could be seen from all parts of the 
field. 

Once, when riding swiftly to carry out some orders 
of the general's, the horse plunged into the deep 
mire to his breast. Perry pressed his hands on 
the pommel of the saddle, and sprang over the 
horse's head to dry ground. 

Relieved from the weight of his rider, the 
horse freed himself and bounded forward. Perry 
clutched the mane as he passed and vaulted into 
the saddle, without stopping the animal's speed for 
a moment. As he passed the soldiers, many 
cheers arose. 

On October 7, 1813, Perry returned to Detroit, 
and from there started back to his home in New- 



54 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



port. The people hailed him with joy, and enough 
could not be said in his praises. Even Captain 
Barclay of the English fleet called him ' ' The gal- 
lant and generous enemy. " 

His journey to Newport was indeed a triumphal 
one. In every town that he passed through, busi- 
ness was stopped and the schools were closed so 
that all could have a glimpse of the hero of Lake 
Erie. Processions accompanied him from town to 
town. 

On November 18th, he reached his home in 
Newport. Bells were rung, all the ships were 

adorned with 
flags, and salutes 
were fired in his 
honor. 

On November 
29th, he received 
his promotion to 
the rank of cap- 
tain. At that time this was the highest rank in 
the American navy. A gold medal was also given 
to him by Congress. 




GOLD MEDAL AWARDED BY CONGRESS. 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. - - 

5o 



In the following January he made a visit to 
Washington, where he was publicly entertained by 
the President and citizens. 

In August, 1 8 14, he was ordered to command a 
new frigate named the Java. He hastened to 
Baltimore, where this vessel was to be launched. 

On the 11th of September, Lieutenant Mac- 
donough, who was in command of the American 
squadron on Lake Champlain, gained a decisive 
victory over the British near Plattsburg. Every- 
thing at the North seemed now to be favorable 
to the Americans ; but it was not so at the 
South. 

While Captain Perry was waiting at Baltimore, 
the British had sailed up the Potomac with an 
army and a fleet. They captured Washington, 
and burned the capitol, the White House, and 
some of the other public buildings. 

Being so successful in this, they made a like 
attempt upon Baltimore, but were driven back. 
They then blockaded Chesapeake Bay. 

Just at this time, Congress passed a bill to fit 
out two squadrons of fast-sailing vessels. These 



56 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



were to cruise near the English coasts and destroy 
the commerce between the different ports. 

Captain Perry was ordered to leave the Java 
and command one of these squadrons. But before 
he could sail for England, peace was declared. A 
treaty with that country was signed December 
24, 1814. 



XI. — On the Mediterranean Again. 

While the United States had been at war with 
England, trouble had again arisen with the Barbary 
States. None of these countries had been so 
annoying as Algiers. The ruler, or Dey, of Algiers 
knew that every American naval vessel was busy 
fighting the English. He therefore thought this a 
good time to burn and plunder the merchant ships. 
He also demanded large sums of money in return 
for his captured prizes and prisoners. 

But no sooner was peace concluded with Eng- 
land, than Congress declared war with Algiers. A 
squadron was sent to the Mediterranean, com- 
manded by the brave Stephen Decatur, and he 



THE STOR Y OF OLIVER HAZA RD PERR Y. r „ 

57 



soon compelled the Dey to sign a treaty with the 
United States. 

In this treaty the Dey promised to give back all 
the American property he had captured. If there 
was anything that he could not return, he was to 
pay for it at its full value. He was also to release all 
the Americans he held as prisoners, and give up, 
forever, all claim to tribute money from the United 
States. 

When the consuls of other countries heard of 
what Decatur had accomplished, they tried to per- 
suade the Algerine ruler to make the same terms 
with them. Then the Dey was sorry that he had 
4 'humbled himself" before the young republic, and 
he declared that he did not consider the treaty 
binding. 

Congress therefore thought it wise to strengthen 
the American squadron in the Mediterranean, in 
order that this trouble should be settled. 

Captain Perry was ordered to take the Java and 
sail at once for Algiers. On January 22, 18 16, he 
set sail, and in March he joined the American 
vessels off the eastern coast of Spain. 



58 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



Upon arriving at Algiers, they found that the 
Dey had just received a large amount of tribute 
money from an English fleet. This made him 
very unwilling to talk about treaties. 

The English fleet had not only brought money 
to pay for the release of English prisoners, but 
also had brought vast sums from the governments 
of Naples and Sardinia to buy the freedom of their 
enslaved countrymen. 

Twelve hundred captives were freed in this 
way, and put aboard the English vessels. There 
were people of all ages, clothed in rags. Some 
had been taken while young and now were old men, 
with gray hair and beards. 

The Dey refused to treat with the American 
commander, and the Americans would have de- 
stroyed the Algerian fleet and bombarded the town 
at once, but for an article in the treaty which 
Decatur had made. This article stated that when 
either side should become dissatisfied with the 
treaty, three months' notice should be given before 
actual fighting began. 

While waiting for these three months to pass, 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERR V. 59 



the American squadron cruised about the Mediter- 
ranean and visited the other Barbary States. The 
commander wished to show the rulers of these 
states that our country had a navy which could 
protect our commerce. 

After this the fleet sailed along the south- 
ern coast of Europe. There was no vessel 
which attracted more admiration than Captain 
Perry's Java. To visit this ship was, indeed, a 

pleasure. 

The captain was a courteous host, and always 
made his guests welcome. Everything on the ship 
was in order, and ready for instant use. The dis- 
cipline of the crew was perfect. 

Bern* a good musician himself, Captain Perry 
had the finest band in all the fleet. He took a 
personal interest in each one of his men, and was 
always ready with a word of praise when he saw it 
was deserved. He gave the midshipmen lessons 
in navigation, and saw that they had lessons in 
Spanish and French and in the use of the sword. 
They were even taught to dance. 

Whenever it was possible the men were allowed 



6o 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



to go on shore, in order that they might visit the 
places of interest. 

By January, 1817, the Dey of Algiers finally 
came to terms and signed a new treaty, agreeing 
to the conditions required by the United States. 
Captain Perry was soon afterwards ordered to 
sail for America, carrying this new treaty with 
him. In March he arrived at Newport. 



XII. — Captain Perry's Last Cruise. 

After so many months of cruising, Captain Perry 
was very glad to be again in his own country. 

He spent the next two years quietly at home 
with his family. He built a snug little cottage in 
Narragansett, on the old Perry estate. This was 
the same farm that had been purchased by the 
young Quaker, Edmund Perry, so many years 
before. Here the family spent the summers. 

Captain Perry was always fond of life in the 
country. He took many long rides on horseback. 
Besides his horses, he had many other pets on the 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



61 



farm. He and his three little sons spent a great 
deal of time taking care of them. 

The winters were passed in the house at 
Newport. 

These were the happiest years of Oliver Perry's 
life, and he could not help but be sorry, when, on 




CAPTAIN PERRY S RESIDENCE AT NEWPORT. 

March 31, 18 19, he received a summons to go to 
Washington. 

Upon arriving there, the Secretary of the Navy 
told him of an expedition that the government 
wished him to undertake. 

He was to go to Venezuela, on the northern 
coast of South America. This was a new republic 



5 2 THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

which had formerly been a colony of Spain. Its 
people were still fighting for their independence, 
just as the people of the United States had fought 
against the king of England. 

Small, fast-sailing war vessels, called privateers, 
had been fitted out by this republic. These ves- 
sels were designed to capture Spanish merchant 
ships, and were allowed to keep all the money that 
was obtained from the prizes. 

But it was not the Spanish ships alone which 
suffered from these privateers. The desire for 
prize money led them to attack ships of other 
nations. The American merchants had met with 
many losses in this way. 

Captain Perry was to present claims for these 
losses, and also to persuade the president of 
Venezuela to keep his privateers from preying on 
American commerce. For this expedition, Perry 
was to have two vessels, the sloop John Adams 
and the schooner Nonsuch, 

On July 15, 18 1 7, he arrived at the mouth of 
the Orinoco River. Here he was obliged to take 
the small schooner in order to go up the river and 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



63 



reach the town of Angostura, which was then the 
Venezuelan capital. He sent the John Adams to 
Port Spain, on the island of Trinidad, one hun- 
dred and fifty miles away. This vessel was or- 
dered to wait there for his return. 

The voyage up the Orinoco was an interesting 
one. All along the shores were vast tropical for- 
ests with overhanging trees full of birds of brilliant 
colors. Luxuriant vines were festooned from limb 
to limb. Flowers of all colors grew everywhere. 

On the other hand, the trip was full of hardships. 
The heat was fearful and the sand-flies, gnats, 
and mosquitoes were almost unbearable. 

Soon after reaching Angostura many of the 
crew were taken ill with yellow fever, but Perry 
would not leave until his mission was accom- 
plished. After three weeks of delay, he succeeded 
in getting the promises for which he had come. 

The schooner then sailed down the river, reach- 
ing the mouth on August 15th. On account of a 
high sea, to cross the bar that night would be a 
dangerous undertaking, and the vessel was there- 



fore anchored until morning. 



64 



THE STORY OF OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



During the night, the wind freshened so much 
that the spray dashed into the cabin where Captain 
Perry was sleeping. In the morning he awoke with 
a cold chill and symptoms of yellow fever. 

Every effort was made to reach the John Adams 
as soon as possible. Captain Perry grew rapidly 
worse. In the intense heat, his little schooner 
cabin was most uncomfortable. 

The winds were unfavorable and the progress of 
the little vessel was slow. When within a mile of 
the John Adams, Captain Perry died. This was 
on his thirty-fourth birthday, August 23, 18 19. 

He was buried on the island of Trinidad with 
military honors, and the John Adams brought back 
the sad news to the United States. 

His death was regarded as a national calamity. 
The government sent a war vessel to bring his body 
home. He was finally laid to rest at Newport, 
where a granite monument marks his grave. 

The feelings of his fellow officers were well 
expressed by Stephen Decatur. Upon hearing of 
Perry's death, he said: "Sir! The American navy 
has lost its brightest ornament!" 



"Tour Great 



James Baldwin, Ph. D. 



Americans" Series... 



For Young American Readers. 

In order that Baldwin's Biographical Stories may be had 
in book form, they are bound together, four Booklets to the 
volume. These volumes, beautifully bound in cloth, will be 
published and known as the "Four Great Americans" Series. 



VOLUMES NOW READY: 

L Four Great Americans 

GEORGE WASHINGTON, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, 
DANIEL WEBSTER, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 

By James Baldwin, Ph. D. 
Cloth. 246 Pages. . . . Price, 50 Cents. 

IL Four American Patriots 

PATRICK HENRY, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, 
ANDREW JACKSON, ULYSSES S. GRANT. 
By Alma Holman Burton, 

Author of " The Story of Our Country." 

Cloth. 256 Pages. . . . Price, 50 Cents. 



Other Volumes in Preparation. 
Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



Send for our Price List and 
Announcement of 
EPOCH-MAKING BOOKS. 



WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY, 

Educational Publishers. 

New York, CHICAGO, Boston, 

78 Fifth Avenue. 378-388 Wabash Avenue. 73 Tremont Street. 



III. Four American Naval Heroes, (In Press. 



" FOR BEGINNERS IN READING." 

THE WERNER PRIMER 

Exquisitely Illustrated in Colors. 
H2 Pages. Price 30 Cents. 

r I ^HE Werner Primer is a growth. It is based on the 
•*• Kindergarten idea as taught by Froebel. It in- 
cludes all the work for the first half year, taking up the 
subjects of reading, writing, language, number, science, 
drawing, literature, and occupations, by means of the 
most perfect inductive, correlative exercises. 

This famous book has accomplished two results: 

1. It has revolutionized methods of teaching" be- 
ginners in reading*. 

2. It has revolutionized the making* of text-books 
for beginners in reading". 

The ' ' old style ' ' Primers, First Readers, Primary 
Readers, etc. , have all been relegated to the past. THE 
WERNER PRIMER stands without a rival in original- 
ity, in plan, in method, in beauty, in practical value, — 
in everything needed in the schoolroom for beginners in 
reading. 

Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



THE 

First Year Nature Reader* 

o? o? o? 

Pr»r- flrnrlpQ T nnrl TT By Katherine Beebe 

ror Lrraaes 1 ana 11. and nelue f. kingsley 

J54 Pages. Price 35 Cents. 

r I ^HIS is a remarkably interesting book for children. 
-*- It is designed to be taken up after the Werner 
Primer, and has been prepared in the same thorough 
and beautiful manner. The subject matter follows the 
seasons as they change from fall to summer, calling 
attention to the flowers, fruits, birds, and activities of 
every-day interest. 

The study of Nature is always attractive to the child, 
and ' in the First Year Nature Reader are some of the 
most interesting phases of out-door life, put in a form 
easily understood and enjoyed by the youngest reader. 

A valuable feature of the book is a list of appropriate 
stories by well-known authors. These are to be read or 
told in connection with the reading lessons. At the end 
of the book are placed many suggestions regarding seat 
work, such as painting, drawing, modeling, sewing, etc. 
The book is beautifully illustrated in colors and forms an 
"ideal First Reader." 



Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



Legends of the Red Children 

o? o? o? 

For Grades IV and V. £ ARA L . PRATT 

J 28 Pages. Price 30 Cents. 

TN contrast with the old, classic tales and the lessons 
-*■ from Nature are these poetic legends of Indian life. 
Children delight in beautiful stories like these, which 
carry them into a new and strange world. Not only do 
the myths form most interesting reading, but they 
directly cultivate the child's imagination by means of the 
d3lightful, poetic fancies. 

The literary style of the author is picturesque and 
charming, and is peculiarly adapted to interest the 
children. The following extract, from the preface, shows 
the pleasing character of the writings: 

"Many years ago, when this country of ours was one great forest, 
* * * there dwelt a race of happy little children. The Red Children, 
we call them * * * Some wise men, who loved the Red Children and 
saw the sweetness of their simple stories, gathered them together and 
told them in a book, so that you and I might read these legends of the 
Red Children." 

The little book is attractively bound and illustrated. 
The chapters include, among others: 

The Legend of the Lightning. The Rainbow. 

The Star Beautiful. The Sun a Prisoner. 

Will-o'-the-Wisp. The Land of the Hereafter, etc. 



Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



The Story of Our Country* 

%b o# o£ 

Por Grades V and VI. alma holman burton 

240 Pages. Price 60 Cents. 

THIS is a unique and charming work, which not only 
forms an admirable primary history, but also makes 
a remarkably interesting book for supplementary read- 
ing. It is the story of the people of the United States, 
and of their progress from the struggles and privations 
in the wilderness down to the national prosperity of to- 
day. 

So skillfully is our country's growth depicted that the 
whole is one continuous story, as charming as any ro- 
mance and of absorbing interest from beginning to end. 
The captivating and picturesque style in which it is writ- 
ten makes the work especially desirable as a supplemen- 
tary reading book. 

The illustrations are numerous, and are much more 
than mere pictures, for each one assists in telling the 
story, and is not thrown in haphazard, merely for embel- 
lishment. 

The author's aim throughout is to awaken in the child 
an interest in our country's progress and to cherish feel- 
ings of patriotic pride and love of country. 

Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



SOHRAB and RUSTUM 

AN EPISODE 

For Higher Grades. matthew arnold 

J 23 Pages. Price 40 Cents. 

r I A HIS little volume presents one of the greatest epics 
-*• of modern times, and introduces the student to 
the rich fields of Persian literature. The subject of the 
poem goes back to the earliest traditions of Persia, which 
have been handed down for centuries in the folk-lore and 
the written chronicles. During the tenth century these 
traditional data were gathered together by the ' ' Homer 
of Persia ' ' into one great epic, and it is on the crowning 
episode of this great saga that Arnold has based his poem. 

Sohrab and Rustum, more than any other of his 
works, has placed Arnold among the poets of modern 
England. It is the masterpiece of his classic and heroic 
poems. A most interesting introduction, and valuable 
and abundant notes, have been prepared by Merwin 
Marie Snell. There is also a bibliography for the use of 
students. 

This poem has been selected as one of the English 
requirements for admission into the colleges of the 
United States. 



Liberal Terms for Supplies to Schools. 



[98— 10-98J 



afai/ette> 



"The 



THE BOOK OF 
THE HOUR for 
THE YOUTH 
OF AMERICA.. 






Just 
Published. 



i/ht proposal to erect a monument in Paris to the 
early friend of American liberty, GENERAL 
LAFAYETTE, by contributions from the patriotic 
school children of the United States, has aroused 
national enthusiasm for the memory of this noble 



man. 



In view of the great interest which this 
fitting and significant movement has awakened in 
the life, character and services of the heroic soldier 
and patriot, the Werner School Book Company has 
just issued, edited by Dr. James Baldwin, 

"LAFAYETTE, 

THE FRIEND OF AMERICAN LIBERTY," 



By Mrs. ALMA HOLMAN BURTON, 

The author of ** Four American Patriots," 
" The Story of Our Country/ 

A TIMELY CONTRIBUTION OF GREAT VALUE 
TO PATRIOTIC EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE. 



Etc. 



CUerner School Book 



.Company... 



CHICAGO: 378-388 Wabash Ave. 
NEW YORK: 78 Fifth Ave. 
BOSTON: 73 Tremont St. 



Educational Publishers. 




POcD'IftaKittd Qooks 



« n 



The term, ** Epoch-Making," is often used inaccurately* 
When properly applied to school-books, it means such 
works as introduce new conceptions with reference to a 
given branch of knowledge, or illustrate new and improved methods 
in the treatment cf that branch. Such works, by showing a better way 
than that which was formerly pursued, bring about a revolution in 
the making of school=books, as well as reform in the meth= 
ods of teaching. 



Here are some 



NOTABLE EXAMPLES OF 
EPOCH=MAKING BOOKS: 



DeGarmo's Language Lessons, Book I S SO 

DeGarmo's Language Lessons, Book II 40 

DeGarmo's Complete Language Lessons 50 

The Werner Introductory Geography (Tarbell) 55 

The Werner Grammar School Geography (Tarbell) 1 40 

The Werner Arithmetic, Book I. (Hall) 40 

The Werner Arithmetic, Book II. (Hall) 50 

Giffin's Grammar School Algebra 50 

Burton's Story of Our Country 60 

The Story of George Washington (Baldwin) 10 

The Story of Benjamin Franklin (Baldwin) 10 

The Story of Daniel Webster (Baldwin) 10 

The Story of Abraham Lincoln (Baldwin) 10 

Baldwin's Four Great Americans ( W. F. W. & L.) SO 

Baldwin's Primary Lessons in Physiology 35 

Baldwin's Essential Lessons in Physiology 50 

Hinsdale's Studies in Education 1 OO 

Hinsdale's American Government 1 25 

Hinsdale's Training for Citizenship 10 

Hinsdale's History and Civil Government of Ohio 1 OO 

The Werner Primer (Taylor) . . 30 

Old Time Stories Retold (Smythe) 30 

First Year Nature Reader (Beebe & Kingsley) 35 

Legends of the Red Children (Pratt) 30 

Sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of the price* 
Special examination prices to teachers on application. 
Send for our Price List. Address .... 

Werner $ctoool Book 3 7 8=3 8 8 wabash A Ve . gwcago, 
•.Company.. ^ 78 Fifth Ave ik» w*j 

Educational :: Publishers. * 73 Tremont St. fiOSfOtt. 

W46 










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